Charity

Watertown Boys & Girls Club Hosting Charity Golf Tournament

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club will host the 43rd Annual Stephen P. Mugar Golf Tournament on Aug. 24, 2020 to raise money for the club. The Boys & Girls Club sent out the following information:

Our single largest fundraiser of the year! Whether you choose to play in the tournament, sponsor a hole or donate an auction item, you will have a hand in transforming the lives of young people in our community. The Mugar Family will match the tournament’s net profits up to $80,000, in memory of one of the Club’s founding members, Stephen P. Mugar!

Business

Arsenal Yards Collects Hundreds of Items for Watertown Food Pantry

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Some of the 750 items collected during the Arsenal Yards Neighborhood Pickup. They will go to the Watertown Food Pantry. The following announcement was provided by Arsenal Yards:

Last week, Arsenal Yards held a Neighborhood Pickup event, during which they invited members of the local community to drop off a donation to the Watertown Food Pantry in exchange for a tie dye swag bag full of perks from Arsenal Yards retailers, along with crafts and surprises from Arsenal Yards. There was an overwhelmingly great response for the food donations, with more than 750 items being donated, along with some cash donations. The team from Arsenal Yards delivered the donations to the Watertown Food Pantry on Tuesday, July 28 (photos attached), and would like to send a huge thank you to the local community and to all who came and donated for their generosity.

Around Town

Watertown Residents Can Apply for Rental Assistance

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Watertown residents struggling to cover their rent due to the COVID-19 outbreak can apply for rental assistance of up to $1,000. The Watertown Community Foundation has teamed with MetroWest Collaborative Development and Wayside Youth & Family Network to provide rental assistance for families who are behind (or arrear) in rent. The assistance will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Watertown Community Foundation received funds from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, said Executive Director Jan Singer. “Our grants from MA COVID-19 Relief Fund have gone directly to MetroWest Collaborative Development, who is administering the program,” Singer said.

Around Town

Scholarships Available for Summer Recreation Programs from Community Foundation

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation’s (WCF) Community Resilience Fund, created to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency and similar crises, has announced a $10,000 grant to the Watertown Recreation Department. The fund is for scholarships for families in need who want to participate in the summer 2020 program. 

“WCF is committed to ensuring every Watertown child that wants one has a camp experience this summer,” said WCF co-president Darshna Varia. “As there were no planned camps for kids in Watertown for this summer, the foundation discussed trying to help the town find a way to give some relief to families and get some outdoor activity for children. With the RecreationDepartment’s announcement of the Parks Adventure Program, we found a perfect partnership.”

“It’s been a long tough spring and now there may be a little relief for families during the summer mornings,” added Peter Centola, Director of Watertown Recreation. Any family in need of financial assistance can contact PCentola@watertown-ma.gov.

Online registration here.

Around Town

Signs of Generosity Pop Up Around Watertown; Community Foundation Gives Rental, Food Assistance

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The Watertown Community Foundation has given out these lawn signs to people who have donated to help others in town during COVID-19. The Watertown Community Foundation wanted to thank those who have donated to help out their neighbors during the difficult times cause by the COVID-19 pandemic, and have handed out lawn signs proclaiming “We ♥ Watertown.” WCF Executive Director Jan Singer said that residents have been very generous donating to the Foundation and the Community Resilience Fund, which was created in March to assist people impacted by the Coronavirus. “Hundreds of people in Watertown have contributed and we have given out thousands of dollars,” Singer said. “We continue to give emergency rental assistance and to both food pantries.

Around Town

Watertown Chiropractors: Have Dinner on Us!

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Doctors from the Specific Chiropractic Centers – Boston, from left, Rich Baez, Bill Trevens and Andrew Welsch. A Watertown chiropractic center decided to lend a hand and bring a little cheer into people’s lives during the struggles of the COVID-19 outbreak. The doctors at Specific Chiropractic Centers – Boston, located in Watertown Square, have been going around town to different restaurants and donating money so that people can get a free meal. One of the doctors, Rich Baez, said he and his partners, Bill Trevens and Andrew Welsch, felt it is  import to help people pull through the outbreak and shutdown together. 

“We’ve been trying to help our community out during this time,” Baez said. “We have been sponsoring local restaurants.

Charity

COVID-19 Putting Up Hurdles for Watertown-Based Group Effort to Get Care Packages to the Troops

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During normal times, volunteers will gather in Watertown and pack care packages to send off to American servicemen and women across the globe, but social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 outbreak have slowed Operation American Soldier’s ability to fulfill its mission. The base of operations for the non-profit group is the basement of the Marine Corps League’s Shutt Detachment on Mt. Auburn Street. The group has some loyal volunteers who would come in to pack boxes, said Wendy Rocca, who co-founded the group in 2003 with her husband. Sometimes businesses or other organizations would send a team of people over to put together the packages, but those efforts have largely stopped because of the Coronavirus shutdown.

Around Town

Watertown Restaurant Raising Funds to Give Meals to Local Families

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Donohue’s Bar & Grill has started a GoFundMe effort to raise money to pay for meals for local families struggling duding the COVID-19 shutdown. Dubbed the Donohue’s Cares Act, the effort will provide a meal for every $10 donated, and the restaurant is providing the first 500 meals. As of Saturday morning, more than $1,100 has been donated by 17 people. The goal is $10,000. Find out more and donated by clicking here.